Roki Sasaki is heading back to the Dodgers’ bullpen, and the timing lines up with the part of the season when every pitching decision gets sharper.
Los Angeles plans to move the right-hander into a relief role when he comes off the injured list for the next series against the San Diego Padres. Sasaki, 24, hit the injured list at the end of August after a strong stretch that followed the All-Star break.
Before an Aug. 26 start against the Atlanta Braves, he had allowed two runs or fewer in each of his outings. Against Atlanta, he gave up four earned runs.
The move makes sense with the postseason approaching. The Dodgers will need to pare their rotation down to four starters, and the current group points in that direction. Tyler Glasnow, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are all likely to stay in the rotation, which leaves Sasaki as the obvious arm to shift into the bullpen.
Manager Dave Roberts said Sasaki could be used in a few different ways once he’s back. The Dodgers may ask him to cover multiple innings, but not in a full bulk-relief setup.
“I could see multiple innings but it’s not gonna be bulk like 4 or 5 innings,” Roberts said, per Dodgers Nation’s Noel Sanchez.
“…I trust Roki in any situation. [His first appearance] won’t be in the ninth the first time. It could potentially fall out, but it won’t be that way.”
That kind of flexibility fits what Sasaki brings. His fastball already sits among the hardest in the game, reaching above 100 mph, and his smaller pitch mix could play even better in shorter bursts.
The Dodgers have already seen that version of him work. Last season, after a long stay on the injured list, Sasaki returned late in the year and made two scoreless relief appearances before carrying that same role into the postseason.
He was even more dangerous in October. Sasaki made nine postseason appearances and gave up just one earned run over 10.2 innings. He also took over closing duties during that run and converted all three of his save chances.
Now the Dodgers are hoping that same bullpen version of Sasaki shows up again as they push for a historic three-peat.
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